The present invention relates to apparatus useful in slashing or streaking pine trees to enhance the natural production of terpene products in the body of the tree prior to harvesting.
It has been known for over 30 years that the inflicting of a wound or slash through the bark on pine trees causes an increase in the production of oleoresin material in both directions along the stem from the site of the wound. For example, the yield of oleoresins and rosin can be increased from 500 to 600 percent; the yield of fatty acids can be increased from 20 to 40 percent; and such wounding favors the formation of the valuable product b-pinene as well as turpentine.
In the past, the practice has been to strip the bark from the tree along a slash from about 1/8 of an inch to an 11/2 in width, and for a distance of about 1/3 to 1/2 the circumference of the tree. The wound may extend to the cambium layer or inwardly thereof. Until recently, the wound has been treated with an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid (40%) or a sulfuric acid paste resulting in a remarkable increase in the yield of oleoresinous materials. Reference may be had to the Journal of the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry, (TAPPI), Volume 39, Jan. 1956, Pages 55-59.
More recently, it has been found that the application of certain herbicides, and particularly Paraquat (1,1di-methyl-4,4-bipyridylium dichloride) at from about 2% to about 8% concentration in solution is a very effective means of enhancing the production of such terpenoid materials. Reference may be had to the Journal of the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry, Volume 60, Pages 54-57 , June 1977 for further details on the treatment of slash pine with Paraquat. Other compositions, such as, insecticides, dye marker solution, or the like may be applied to the tree in this manner.
So far as it is presently known, slashing of pine trees has been done by hand followed by hand application to the relatively fresh wound of an irritant, such as, a herbicide, e.g., Paraquat in relatively dilute solution or dispersion. The average output per day per man has been about 1,000 trees by this method.
The present invention provides a mechanical means for pine tree slashing and enables the slashing and virtually simultaneous treatment of pine trees at a rate from 6,000 to 7,000 trees per day per operating unit.
As is common practice, pine trees are planted in groves in parallel rows about 6 to 11 feet apart, with the individual trees in a given row being about 8 feet apart and in staggered relation to the trees in an opposite row. Huge areas in southeastern United States are utilized for the growth and harvesting of pine trees used mainly in the production of paper pulp.
It has now been found that apparatus may be attached to an automotive wheeled vehicle, such as, a tractor, to effect slashing by automatic means followed by virtually immediate treatment of the wound with an irritant material, such as, described above. Such an apparatus capable of operating on trees on each side of the tractor and moving at a speed of from half to 2.5 mph is capable of slashing and treating up to 7,000 trees per day.